The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1887-06-01

basket of the choicest fruit that he
could find, and arranged it upon his table
in tempting display.
When he returned from tea every rich
pear had been bitten, every choice peach
bore the marks of little teeth, and the
skins of the rare grapes were scattered
about the table. For a moment the Cap
tain was speechless with amazement,
then, with wrathful interiection, he
picked up the basket of remains and res
| olutely crossed the hall to Miss Terrells
door. That lady opened the door, her
face flushed with laughter at some prank
of her tyrants.
miss Terrell-I-ah-I just thought
would ask you to-ah-accept this
fruit. The children-you know"
"Ah, those naughty boys. l know
who did it. Thank you; you are very
kind, especially when we have made you
so much trouble. shall watch the chill
dren more closely" And she bowed him
away with queenly grace.
George Holton, you would better re-
tire until you learn to let that woman
alone. You will make fool of your
self every time you attempt to defend
your rights" And then, putting on his
boots: ''It is a shame for that fine girl
to be monopolized by those little fiends.
Her relatives have no right to ask such a
sacrifice of her. She is an uncommonly
fine girl, and old enough to have gotten
over her nonsense"
For the next week the Captain kept his
door sacredly locked, changed his seat to
the other end of the table, and developed
an amount of passive courage that sur
prised himself, and was successful in
avoiding any further encounter with the
terrible children. At to end of the
week, grown reckless with success, he
strobe bravely out upon the veranda, in
tending to enjoy the fine midsummer
twilight in a row down the little stream,
by courtesy called ''the river" His boat
was moored in tiny round bay a short
distance from the landing, and as he ap-
preached the clump of alders which hid
it from the road he heard shouts of
childish glee that told him of some new
disaster.
True enough, when he came in sight
he could have devOured the small ma
rauders in his wrath Four young Ter
rells were playing "shipwreck" in the
freshly painted Lottie, tipping her over
in the soft, black mud and pitching her
violently into the pool. They rescued
themselves by climbing back and right
ing the wreck. They then ran over her
with their black feet until she again
capsized, and the disaster was repeated.
The pretty fgure-head was broken, she
was half filled with the slime of the pool,
and the scarlet umbrella, which was fast
ened as an awning in the stern, was drip
ping from its muddy bath.
'I'll go and tell her this time if Pm
hung for it tomorrow. I'll tell her if
Pm not struck dumb before l get there.
Those little rascals have got to be punish
ed or disposed of in some way"
His vigorous rapping at Miss Terrell's
door brought that lady herself, holding
baby Bessie against her shoulder, and
looking so tenderly maternal that the
Captains courage and animosity toward
her darlings oozed away at the tip of his
fingers.
"Miss Terrell, l have a fine boat down
on the river, and, as it was fair even
ing, thought that would go down for
row, but-the children. You'll
excuse mel mean no offense-but 1
would like you to step down and see that
boat, if you please, and if you are in
clined to do So"
Certainly. How very kind of you" I"
replied Miss Terrell, anxious to put him
at ease. "You spoke of the children, too.
Not many gentlemen are so fond of chill
dren. / don't know where they are, but
Hannah can soon find them. shall be
ready in moment"
81 will find them for you," quoth the
Captain; and, hurEing down to the
veranda, he motioned to Jake, the stable
boy, saying; "Here's half dollar, Jake,
if Eou go down to Paddy Mack's and get
his best boat up to the landing inside of
eight minutes, and keep mumw
''All right, sir" And ten minutes
later Captain Holton was handing
Miss Violet into Paddy's boat with the
air of a conqueror. The children
could not be found, and the
treacherous Captain suggested that they
had probably gone down to hear the band
play in the village square.
Seated face to face with her in the soft,
odorous twilight, the Captain found him
self carried back twenty years to his
impressionable youth by the delight of
the lady's presence. A rose tint glowed
over all the landscape, and the breeze up
the river, heavy with the scent of
meadows newly mown and clover fields
in blossom, was as sweet as if it stole from
Eden's gate.
Miss Terrell had been housed up with
her tormentOrs long enough to enjoy such
an escape as this, and she gave herself up
to the pleasure of the hour with girlish
abandon.
Each was too busy with thoughts to
carry on a very animated conversation,
and both regretted the stroke of some
village clock that warned them TO re-
turn.
The veranda was deserted when they
returned, and they fingered moment in
the softness of the midsummer night
only moment, for chorus of shrieks
from an upper window recalled Miss Ter
rell to her post in the upper room with "a
bound
"She is too fine "A young woman to be
sacrificed to those little scamps. Great